Everton have been throttled by adversity this season, but it's important to remember that Sean Dyche's lads have lost just one Premier League game in eight and have a two-point buffer between them and the relegation zone.
A more nuanced look at the situation would be sure to give rise to fear, but the Toffees support know that their side weathered some lashing storms last season to comfortably preserve their top-flight status.
Dyche-Everton-Calvert-Lewin-Branthwaite
Dyche's position in the dugout might be... loose, and with The Friedkin Group set to purchase Farhad Moshiri's 94% stake, change could be afoot.
Supporters yearn for a more expansive style of football, but Everton would certainly need a new part in midfield to make that happen.
Everton transfer news
Recent reports have linked Juventus' Arthur Melo with a move to Merseyside. The Brazilian midfielder has endured a torrid spell in Liverpool previously, but enjoyed a successful campaign on loan with Fiorentina last year.
Calciomercato revealed earlier this week that Arthur, out of the Old Lady project, is patiently waiting for the market to open in January, with plenty of Brasileiro Serie A interest. However, the player's desire is to remain in Europe.
Arthur
Last week, Italian sources claimed that Goodison Park is best positioned to complete a swoop this winter, and given that it wouldn't break the bank, could be a fantastic deal to help shift Everton's playing style toward something more modern.
Why Arthur Melo could be perfect for Everton
Let's get the glaring caveat out of the way. Arthur suffers from a bitter track record on the fitness front, with injuries and setbacks ruining his progress across several recent seasons.
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Namely, the 28-year-old fell heavily from the wagon at Liverpool, joining on loan for the 2022/23 campaign but completing just 13 minutes of action, off the bench against Napoli in the Champions League. His past on the other side of the River Mersey is something that some Toffees fans will have an issue with, but if he can get going, he could bring a welcome dimension to Everton's first team.
Once of Barcelona, Arthur honed his passing game within one of the best teams to ever do it before transferring to Juventus for a £72.5m fee in 2020. The talent is still there, even if he hasn't had the best time since making that Italy-bound move.
As per FBref, the £102k-per-week ace ranked among the top 1% of central midfielders in Serie A last season for pass completion, the top 6% for passes attempted and the top 15% for progressive passes per 90, denoting a metronomic composure and ball-playing sharpness that would bring something to Dyche's system that perhaps it doesn't presently contain.
A pass is considered progressive if the distance between the starting point and the next touch is at least 10 meters closer to the opponent's goal or any completed pass into the penalty area.
Passing is just one aspect of Arthur's game, however, for he demonstrated his athleticism and creditable defensive output with La Viola on loan last season. It's perhaps promising that he succeeded in playing the lion's share of the 2023/24 term without falling to injury, and is only absent from the field right now due to tactical decisions made by Juventus manager Thiago Motta.
At the end of the previous campaign, the Brazil international said that he felt "phenomenal," in possibly the best shape of his professional career.
Serie A Stats 23/24 - Arthur Melo
Match Stats*
Matches (starts)
Goals
Assists
Touches*
Pass completion
Key passes*
Dribble success
Ball recoveries*
Tackles + interceptions*
Total duels (won)*
Stats via Sofascore (* = per game)
Everton need more inspiration and purchase in the middle of the park, and Arthur would help this cause and then some, if he stays fit. He could take the place of Abdoulaye Doucoure, for example.
With Dwight McNeil operating in attacking midfield, Doucoure has sat deeper for much of the campaign. Approaching his 32nd birthday and out of contract next summer, the hulking Malian is still a good option for the Blues but lacks Arthur's ball-centred strengths and his combative crispness too, completing 85% of his Premier League passes this year and winning only 46% of his ground duels.
Everton midfielder Abdoulaye Doucoure
Implementing a conduit to channel sweeping passing sequences could bear dividends for Everton and it could be perfect for newly-fashioned number ten McNeil, who has excelled in the role for Everton this term.
Principally played on the left wing throughout his career, the 25-year-old has been refashioned this term to promote creativity and spark from central positions. As The Athletic's Patrick Boyland puts it: "Everton are now crossing less & playing more through balls." McNeil is a focal architect in this regard.
Dwight McNeil for Everton
It's working a treat, for McNeil's productivity at the least. The former Burnley prospect has posted three goals and three assists from nine appearances while central this year, averaging 2.7 key passes per game, as per Sofascore, to highlight his dynamism.
He hasn't been crowbarred into the position, though it's clear that allowing the electric Iliman Ndiaye to thrive out on the left flank was part of Dyche's reasoning, but McNeil's role at the front of the midfield triangle has perhaps knocked the fluency somewhat, with more needed in the defensive department.
Were Arthur to be added to the equation, the Englishman could take his game to the next level. He's shown that he has the attacking properties to be a real star, and with a controlled and progressive presence behind him, could prove to be a real menace for Everton.
There's also the elephant in the room to consider: Dyche is walking on thin ice and with a gruelling run of fixtures forthcoming in the Premier League, could be dismissed before the calendar year's end. TEAMtalk have compiled a list of candidates that TFG are believed to be weighing up.
Football manager Sergio Conceicao
Everton could be set for a tough winter, more's the pity, but there are some exciting possibilities that could see a squad carrying dormant talent take it and direct it toward the sun.
Arthur in the centre, pulling the strings; McNeil up ahead, making things happen. It's enough to make a curmudgeon feel some slice of optimism.
Of course, the pendulum could swing the other way, into the cold familiarity of disappointment, but who knows, new era, new ideas new parts - things might just change for the better.
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